Hand covering



May 24 1960 J. H. MAcKAY ETAL 2,937,377

HAND COVERING Filed Feb, 20, 1959 United States Patent HAND COVERING John H. Mackay, Jenkintown, and Dean K. Schleicher, Plumsteadville, Pa., assiguors of twenty-live percent each to Naomi C. May and Joseph A. Sutton, both of Philadelphia, Pa.

Filed Feb. 20, 1959, Ser. No. 794,699

14 Claims. (Cl. 2-158) The present invention relates to a hand covering, and more particularly to a work mitten or glove which facilitates the carrying and handling of article.

For ease of carrying and handling articles, it is desirable to provide a pocket between the thumb and the other lingers of the hand which has a wide surface area to facilitate grasping and holding the article. Conventional gloves have the thumb receiving portion along one edge of the glove. Thus, the pocket provided between the thumb receiving portion of the conventional glove and the other finger receiving portions of the glove is narrow. Furthermore, such conventional gloves can only be worn on one hand so that the gloves must be provided in pairs, one glove for the right hand and one glove for the left hand.` Thus, if one-glove of the pair becomes worn outbefore the other glove, or one glove is lost or mislaid, the remaining glove cannot be used but must be replaced with a new pair of gloves.

Another problem with regard to work gloves used for carrying and handling articles is that the gloves become worn out relatively quickly. Heretofore, the only manner of improving the usable life a pair of gloves was by improving the durability of the material from which the gloves were made. However, improving the durability of the material of the gloves also increased the cost of the gloves considerably. Therefore, it is desirable to have a glove which can be made from a relatively inexpensive material, but which will have a longer usable life.

Itis an object of the present invention to provide a novel glove.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a work glove having a pocket of wide surface area between the thumb receiving portion and the linger receiving portion.

It isv still another object of the present invention to provide a glove which can be worn on either hand.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a glove having a longer usable life.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.'

' For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in the drawings forms which are presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

Referring to the drawing in which similar character references refer to similar parts therethroughout:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the glove of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of one side of the glove of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3 3 of Figure 2.

'Figure 4 is a plan view of the other side of the glove of the present invention.

Figure 5 is an end view of the glove of the present invention.

YFigure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 illustrating the first step in rearranging the thumb portions of the glove of the present invention.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 5 illustrating the linal step in rearranging the thumb portions of the glove of the present invention.

Figure 8 is a side view of a modification of the glove of the'present invention.

Referring initially to Figures 1-4, the glove of the present invention is generally designated as 10. Glove 10 comprises a pair of identical upper panels 12 and 14, and a -pair of identical lower panels 16 and 18.

Upper panel 12 comprises a linger receiving portion 20, and al relatively truncated thumb receiving portion 22 extending from the bottom end of the linger receiving portion 20. Upper panel 14 likewise comprises a linger receiving portion 24, and a truncated thumb receiving portion 26 extending from the bottom end of the linger receiving portion 24.' The finger receiving portions 20 and 24 of the upper panels 12 and 14 are sewn together along a continuous seam 28 which extends along the sides and end of the linger receiving portions 20 and 24.

Lower panel 16 comprises a body portion 30, and a truncated thumb receiving portion 32 extending from the top of the body portion 30. Lower panel 18 likewise comprises a body portion 34, and a truncated thumb receiving portion 36 extending from the top of the'body portion 34. The thumb portions 32 and 36 of the lower panels 16 and 18 are of the same shape and size as the thumb portions 22 and 26 of the upper panels 12 and 14.

The body portions 30 and 34 of the lower panels 16 and 18 are of the same width as the linger portions 20 and 24 of the upper panelsf12 and 14. The body portions 30 and 34 of the lower panels 16 and 18 are sewn together along separate seams which extend along the sides of the body portions 30 and 34.

The thumb portion 22 of the upper panel 12 is sewn to the thumb portion 32 of the lower panel 16 along a continuous seam 38 which Vextends along the sides and end of the thumb portions 22 and 32. The thumb portion 26 of upper panel 14 is sewn to the thumb portion 36 of lower4 panel 18 along a seam 40 which extends along the sides and end of the thumb portions 26 and 36.

An elastic band 42 extends across the body portion 34 of the lower panel 18. `The ends of the elastic band 42 are sewn into the seams joining the body portions 30 and 34 of thelower panels 16 and 18. A gauntlet 44 is sewn to the bottom end of the body portions 30 and 34 of the lower panels 16 and 18.

The upper panels 12 and14 and thelower panels.16 and 18 are made of the same material. However, since the upper panels 12 and 14 provide the working surfaces of the glove 10, the upper panels 12 and 14 are made of a thicker and heavierV quality of the material (see Figure 3). The panels 12, 14,16, and 18 are preferably'rnade of a circular knit terrycloth which has great abrasive and cutting resistance and which is relatively inexpensive. However, the panels can also be made of asbestos, leather, or any other durable material. The gauntlet 44 can be made of an inexpensive material, such as twill, duck, or canvas.

Thus, as shown in Figure 5, the glove 10 of the pres- 3 ent invention has a linger receiving portion, generally designated as 46, formed by the linger receiving portions 20 and 24 of the upper panels 12 and 14, and two sepa-Y 12 and lower panel 16 respectively. The thumb receiving portion 50 extends along the other side of the glove 10, and is formed bythe thumb receiving portions 26 assis?? and 36 of the upper panel 14 and lower panel 18 respectively.

In the use of the glove 10, the thumb receiving portion 50 is laid flat against the body portion 34 of the lower panel 1S, and the thumb receiving portion 50 is tucked under the elastic band 42. The thumb receiving portion 48 is folded to extend upwardly along the linger receiving portion 46. The user inserts his hand into the glove 10 with his thumb extending into the thumb receiving portion 48, and his other ngers extending into the finger receiving portion 46. Since the thumb receiving portion 48 is relatively wide and extends across the side of the finger receiving portion 46, the user can place either hand in the glove 10. Also, since the thumb receiving portion 48 extends across the base of the finger receiving portion 46, there is provided a pocket between the thumb receiving portion 4S and the finger receiving portion 46 which has a Wide surface area to facilitate grasping and holding an article.

When using the thumb portion 48 of the glove 1f), the upper panel 12 provides the working surface of the glove 10. When the upper panel 12 becomes worn out through long continuous use, the glove 10 can be rearranged to use the upper panel 14 as the working surface of the glove 10. As shown in Figure 6, the glove 19 is so rearranged by removing the thumb receiving portion Si) from under the elastic band 42, and pivoting the thumb receiving portion 50 upwardly as indicated by arrow 52 until the thumb receiving portion 50 extends along the linger receiving portion 46. The elastic band 42 is pivoted around the end of the gauntlet 44 as ndicated by the arrow 54. As shown in Figure 7, the elastic band 42 is pivoted completely around the gauntlet 44, as indicated by arrow 56, until the elastic band 42 extends across the body portion 30 of the lower panel 16. The thumb receiving portion 48 is then pivoted downwardly as indicated by arrow 58, until the thumb receiving portion 48 extends along the body portion 3f) of the lower panel 16. The thumb receiving portion 48 is then tucked under the elastic band 42. The glove 10 as so rearranged is used by inserting the thumb in the thumb receiving portion 50 and the other lingers in the linger receiving portion 46 with the upper panel 14 providing the working surface of the glove 10. Since the glove i of the present invention has two thumb receiving portions which permit the use of both sides of the glove 10, the glove 10 has a usable life twice the life of a conventional glove made of the same material.

Figure 8 shows a modification of the glove of the present invention, generally designated as 10a. Glove 10a is the same as glove 10 shown in Figure l, except that the finger receiving portion, generally designated as 46a, is divided into four separate finger receiving portions 60a, 60h, 60e, and 60d. The separate linger receiving portions 6fm-50d are all of substantially the same width so that the glove 10a can be worn on either hand. The individual linger receiving portions 60a-6lld permit the individual use of any of the fingers. The glove lila like the glove 10 of Figure 1 has two thumb receiving portions so that both sides of the glove can be used. Also, the thumb receiving portions of the glove 10a extend across the linger receiving portions so that there is provided a pocket of wide surface area between the thumb receiving portions and the linger receiving portions.

The present invention may be embodied in other spe cilic forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specilication as indicating the scope of the invention.

We claim:

l. A hand covering comprising a linger receiving portion, and a pair of thumb receiving portions integral with said finger receiving portion, one of said thumb receiving portions being along one side surface of said linger receiving portion, and the other thumb receiving portion being along the other side surface of the linger receiving portion, the base of each of said thumb receiving por.- tions extending across substantially the entire width of the base of the finger receiving portion.

2. A hand covering in accordance with claim l including a body portion extending beneath the thumb receiving portions and the linger receiving portion.

3. A hand covering in accordance with Claim 2 including an elastic band secured to the glove and extending across one side of the body portion of the glove.

4. A glove in accordance with claim l in which the finger receiving portion comprises four individual finger receiving portions, each of said individualV finger receiving portions being of substantially the same width.

5. A hand covering comprising a first pair of identical panels, each of said panels having a linger portion and a thumb portion extending from the bottom end of the finger portion, the base of said thumb portions being of the same width as the base of the linger portions, the linger portions of said panels being sewn together along the sides and top end of the linger portions to provide a finger receiving portion of the glove, a second pair of identical panels, each of the panels or" said second pair having a body portion and a thumb portion extending from the top end of the body portion, said second pair of panels being sewn together along the sides of the body portions, and the thumb portion of each of the panels of said first pair being sewn to a separate one of the thumb portions of the panels of the second pair along the sides and end of the thumb portions to provide two separate thumb receiving portions of the glove.

6. A hand covering in accordance with claim 5 in which the base portions of the panels of the second pair of panels are of the same width as the linger portions of the panels of the first pair of panels, and the thumb portions of said panels are truncated with the base of the thumb portions being of the same width as the linger portions and base portions.

7. A hand covering in accordance with claim 5 in which said first pair of panels of a heavier material than the material of the second pair of panels.

8. A hand covering in accordance with claim 5 including an elastic band extending across the base portion of one of the panels of said second pair with the ends of said elastic band being sewn into the seams joining the sides of the base portions.

9. A hand covering in accordance with claim 5 including a gauntlet secured to the bottom end of the base portions of said second pair of panels.

l0. A glove in accordance with claim 5 in which the linger portions of said pair of panels are divided into four separate portions of substantially the same width to provide four separate linger receiving portions.

11. A hand covering comprising a first pair of identical panels, each of said panels having a finger portion and a truncated thumb portion extending from the bottom end of -the finger portion, the base of said thumb portions being the same width as the finger portions, the linger portions of said panels being sewn together along the sides and top end of the finger portions to provide the linger receiving portion of the glove, a second pair of identical panels, each of the panels of said second pair having a body portion and a truncated thumb portion extending from the top end of the body portion, the body portions of said second pair of panels being of the same width as the linger portions of said first pair of panels, the base of the thumb portions of said second pair of panels being of the same width as said body portions, the body portions of said second pair of panels being sewn together along the sides of the body portions, the thumb portions of each of the panels of said rst pair of panels being sewn to a separate one of the thumb portions of said second pair of panels along the sides and end of the thumb portions to provide two separate thumb receiving portions for the glove, and an elastic band extending across the body portion of one of said second pair of panels with the ends of said elastic band being sewn into the seams joining the sides of the base portions.

12. A hand covering in accordance with claim 11 in which said rst pair of panels are of a heavier material than the material of said second pair of panels.

13. A mitten in accordance with claim 1 in which 6 the -nger receiving portion comprises a single unrestricted pocket which receives all four `ingers of the hand.

14. A mitten in accordance with claim 5 in which the nger receiving portion comprises a single unrestricted pocket which receives all four lingers of the hand.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 694,188 Pollard Feb. 25, 1902 1,271,110 Zeigler July 2, 1918 1,832,888 man Nov. 17, 1931 

